THE wonder of science will be brought to life before your very eyes next month.

Oxfordshire Science Festival will be kicking off on Saturday, March 3, with some carefully engineered bangs.

What began in 2008 with just a handful of events over the course of a week has now become a month-long celebration of science.

It will begin with a hands-on science fair in Bonn Square called Science in Your World where shoppers can stop by to test their reactions and watch liquid nitrogen at work.

Oxford University’s professor for the public understanding of science Marcus Du Sautoy is one of the patrons of the Oxfordshire Science Festival.

The mathematician said: “It is fantastic that the county is celebrating the extraordinary science that goes on in Oxford.

“Science is such an important part of our future that we are all involved in it.

“It is great to have it out in the streets so people can realise how much science there is in our everyday lives.”

Over the course of two weeks there will be a whole range of exciting events taking place around Oxfordshire, including the chance to see inside a child mummy, an evening of stargazing and a tour around Harcourt Arboretum to learn about the medicinal qualities of its plants.

Oxfordshire Science Festival is a collaboration between Oxford University, Oxford Brookes University, Science Oxford, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the Medical Research Council.

Dominic McDonald, of Science Oxford, said: “It is going to be really great.

“There is a nice range of events and I am really excited about it.

“One of the most important things is that we can bring the groundbreaking science that goes on in Oxford to the people of the county.

“This science is what helps make Oxford so special, and there is going to be something for everyone.”

The science festival runs between Saturday, March 3, and Sunday, March 18.

For more information, please visit oxfordshire sciencefestival.co.uk